He tried to release her. But no. His arms weren’t cooperating. He wanted her here against his chest, feeling her heartbeat forever.
“Baby, you’ve got to let me go.”
Baby. She’d started using that term of endearment her last year of high school, when Zane would meet her after work, dirty from a day hauling lumber and framing buildings, when he looked nothing like a baby and more like the kind of man who shouldn’t be spending time with a girl like her. But he loved the term of endearment. Loved that it was only for him.
With a sigh he released her. Still unable to speak, he lifted Ty in his arms, and grabbed Evie’s hand, half dragging, half pulling her to the vehicle parked outside her house. The boy weighed almost nothing, and he wondered if Evie had been feeding him right. How much were eight-year-old boys supposed to weigh? Maybe he would ask Dax. With five boys under his belt, Dax would know everything about raising a son. Less, though, about relationship troubles he and Sandy had been happily married since they graduated from high school.
“Keys.” Evie held out her hand after Zane unlocked the door to one of the club’s black SUVs.
Zane settled Ty in the back seat, finally finding his voice. “I drive when there’s a woman in the car. That’s how it is.”
“I drive when my son is in the car. And that’s how it is.” She put her hands on her hips and glared. Zane fought back the urge to just lift her and deposit her in the front seat. This wasn’t the time for feminist bullshit. They were in danger and it was his job to protect them.
“You can fight me all you want,” he said. “But I’m in control of any vehicle I ride in, especially when I got you and Ty to look after.”
“So, it’s a macho thing?” She released a sigh. “Would you really feel that much less of a man if I drove?”
“Yes.”
“Fine.” She yanked open the passenger door. “Far be it from me to dent your masculine pride, since it is one of your more attractive qualities.”
Zane straightened his back, puffed out his chest and fought back the urge to fist pump. His woman appreciated his protective nature, the essence of his maleness. And she was letting him drive.
After Evie and Ty were securely buckled in, Zane slid into the vehicle and hit reverse. The tires squealed as he kicked the vehicle into drive and accelerated down the road.
“Slow down,” Evie protested. “This is a school zone and no one is behind us. There’s no need for excessive speed when there’s a child in the vehicle.”
“This isn’t excessive speed. I’m just wanting to drive faster than that kid on his tricycle.” He gestured out the window. “Maybe we should stop and ask him for a tow.”
Evie’s cheeks reddened. “Sarcasm doesn’t become you.”
“Neither does your bullshit. You always loved speed.”
She’d also loved drag races, occasionally cutting class, and dating guys who set Zane’s teeth on edge—the fringe elements of high school who had their own bands, spent time in juvenile detention, or rode motorcycles to school. Jagger had figured it was a case of opposites attract, but Zane had a different view. Evie was one of them. She just couldn’t admit it.
“This is like the movies.” Ty bounced in his seat. “I can’t even read the street signs we’re going so fast.”
Zane glanced up in the rearview mirror and spotted four bikes at the end of the road. Black Jacks. “Son of a bitch. How the fuck did they get here so fast? And where are the goddamned Sinners?”
“Language,” Evie warned.
“I’ll swear all I want when we got fucking Black Jacks on our tail,” he growled. “And I already squared it away with Ty. I put fifty bucks in his swear jar as advance payment.”
“Zane says we’ll be able to afford to take the fucking space shuttle to the fucking moon now that he’s around.” Ty rattled his swear jaw and Evie turned and glared.
“Ty. You are now down two quarters, and if I ever hear that kind of language again—”
“I’m just saying what Zane said.” Ty caught Zane’s glance in the rearview mirror and smiled. Well, damn. His son was no fool. But he’d have to be more careful or he’d get them both in trouble.
Pulling his gaze away, Ty peered out the back window. “Why are those bikers chasing us?”
“’Cause they want something they can’t have.” Zane cranked the wheel to the left and the vehicle dipped as they took a sharp corner. Evie sucked in a breath and Ty gave an excited shout.
“Mom, you should drive like this. Zane is awesome.”
“He’s dangerous, darling. Make sure you have your seat belt on.” Evie gripped the door handle and muttered under her breath. “No point saving us if you’re planning to kill us en route.”
Although he didn’t have to do it, Zane took another sharp left and then a right. Evie and Ty jerked from side to side in the vehicle, and he bit back a laugh when her muttering turned to soft curses only he could hear. But his good humor faded when he glanced up in the rearview mirror and saw the Jacks gaining on them. Where the hell were Shooter and Tank? Or his brothers? It shouldn’t have taken them this long to find the Jacks.
“We can’t outrun them in this damn cage. We need a place to hide so I can call the boys and get them off our back.”
“How about that car wash?” Ty pointed to the gas station ahead. “The doors close when you go inside. Mom doesn’t like it, but I think it’s cool.”
“Good idea.” The boy was smart. Musta got that from his mom. There were no good genes in the Colton family.
Zane turned into the car wash and jammed his credit card into the payment slot, praying they had enough time before the Jacks caught them. The heavy metal door lifted with a groan and he drove inside, counting off the seconds until the door closed again.
“How long we got? I paid for the Special. Never been in a car wash before. We detail our bikes by hand.”
“Probably about five minutes.” Evie loosened her seat belt as water sprayed over the vehicle. “Do you think it will be enough?”
“Should be. They’ll go past and assume we’re ahead. We can double back and then head out to Sparky’s place.” He pulled out his phone and typed a text. “I’ll tell Tank what’s going on. See if he can head them off so we have a clear run to the safe house.”
When Ty removed his seat belt and turned to watch the sprayers, Evie leaned over to Zane. “You don’t have to stay with us when we get there. I know you want to go looking for T-Rex. If you leave me a weapon, we’ll be fine. And tomorrow I’ll call Connie. She was going to take us to her grandmother’s place.”
“You won’t call anyone.” He tucked the phone away. “And you won’t leave the safe house until I’ve got the situation under control. Then I’ll send you outta town.”
“It’s my situation to control.” Her voice rose in pitch. “This is all about me.”
“It may have just been about you, but you and Ty are Sinners now so the Sinners will protect you.” Well, not totally true. Sinner protection usually only extended to family, old ladies, sweet butts and house mamas. They’d be stretched thin if they had to look out for girlfriends and hook-ups, too. But Evie was … Evie. And he’d been incredibly relieved when Jagger gave the order to protect her. If he hadn’t, Zane would have done the unthinkable, and turned in his cut.
“I can’t just hide and wait for things to happen.” Evie twisted her hair around her finger. “The shop was half mine, and I’ll have to deal with the fire, the insurance, and the employees who need work to pay their bills. You can’t just send us away. Ty needs to see you.”
“Fuck, Evie.” Zane slammed a fist on the dashboard as soap slid down the windshield. “We’re not playing games here. You’re in danger. Your life at the shop is gone. I can’t protect you if you’re running around.”
“Don’t shout at Mom.” Ty leaned over the seat, his face now pale and drawn. “And don’t hurt her.” Without warning, he climbed over the seat and curled into Evie’s lap, his arms around her as if h
e was protecting her, while seeking her comfort at the same time. “No one is allowed to hurt her again.”
Again? Zane stilled, his momentary anger forgotten. “Who hurt your mother?”
“Mark.” Ty’s voice was muffled by Evie’s shirt. “Mark shouted and broke things and once he pushed her down the stairs and she almost died. I saw it.”
“He pushed you?” Zane’s world narrowed to one single purpose, and it had nothing to do with Viper or the Jacks. Nothing mattered save for the fact that someone had hurt his Evie and was still walking the streets.
“Just forget about it.” Evie hugged Ty, stroking the back of his head with her hand. “He was drunk and it only happened once. We left the next day. That part of my life is done. It was years ago.”
“Fucking cowardly piece of shit. He still in Stanton?” Zane sucked in a breath of soap-scented air and almost choked on the humidity.
“You’re going to run through that fifty dollars pretty damn quick,” Evie snapped, cringing at her hypocrisy. “And yes, he’s in Stanton, which is why we left. He and I are done. I divorced him and started a new life. It’s over.”
Zane gripped the steering wheel so hard, his knuckles turned white. “Once we got this situation fixed, I’ll be heading up to Stanton. Pay him a visit.”
“No, you won’t.”
“The fuck I will.”
Ty tightened his grip around Evie and his body trembled. Zane bit back the next words he’d intended to say. Damn. He’d scared the boy, and from what he’d just seen, Ty had been scared enough. He and Jagger had definitely pegged Mark right. And the situation screamed for justice. Sinner style.
“Maybe we should go to Hawaii instead of the moon,” Evie said, stroking Ty’s head. “At the rate Zane’s going, it should only take a few days.”
“How ’bout I just pay for the vacation and then swear all I like?”
Evie’s lips quivered with repressed laughter. Ty turned his head and met Zane’s gaze. Then his face broke into a smile.
That was the moment Zane knew.
He was home. And nothing would take him away.
* * *
The noise woke him. A soft murmur that he couldn’t identify as a threat, but which made him uneasy just the same.
Zane pulled his weapon from under the cushion and sat up on the couch, trying to pinpoint the sound. The safe house, an open plan apartment above Sparky’s garage, afforded little space to hide, which left the bedroom, the small office they’d fixed up for Ty, or the bathroom, as the source of the noise.
Not bothering with his shirt, he made his way through the sparsely furnished apartment. Bathroom clear. Ty sleeping soundly on the camp bed they’d set up beside the desk. Kitchen empty. He paused outside Evie’s room and heard the sound again. Then he pushed open the door.
He’d never seen Evie cry. Through high school break-ups, verbal and emotional abuse from her alcoholic mother, and the longing for her absent father, she’d always held fast. But now, she sat on the cold, wood floor, her back against the wall, the phone pressed to her ear, and tears streaking her cheeks. Her eyes widened when she saw him and she murmured into the phone. “I’ve got company. Have to go.”
He wanted to know who was on the phone, and whether that person had said something that made her cry, and if so, who he was and where he lived. And why was she on the phone with someone else when Zane was sleeping just outside her door?
She needed comfort. He could provide. Weapon holstered, he crossed the room and pulled her to standing, his gaze taking in the T-shirt that barely skimmed her lips. He wrapped his arms around her and hugged her to him, enfolding her in his warmth. No words. Just silence. He had always loved silence.
After a few moments, she relaxed against him, her arms circling his waist, her cheek pressed against his chest. She had taken out her ponytail and her hair fanned over her shoulders, the gold highlights shimmering under the soft glow of the bedside lamp. So beautiful. So fragile. His Evie.
“It’s been a rough day,” she whispered. “Viper … She choked on the name. “I lost Bill, and the shop, and T-Rex. We’re on the run, and you … you want to send us away. What about Ty?”
“I’m not about to walk away from my responsibilities.”
Her breath left her in a rush. “I don’t want him to be just a responsibility. You’re his dad. I want him to have a relationship with you.”
“Like I had with my old man?” He couldn’t hide the bitterness in his voice. “Some kids are better off without their parents.”
“I just thought…” She tried to pull away and he held her closer, the slight movement of her body sending shock waves to his groin.
“I’m not leaving you or Ty.” At least not while Viper was out there. But after he dealt with Viper, what then? How did he integrate a son into his life? And Evie. How could he win her back? How could he ask her to forgive him when he couldn’t forgive himself?
“I guess I don’t know you that well after all.” But the desire that burned in her green eyes said otherwise, and when she met his gaze, her little pink tongue flicking out to wet her lips, he couldn’t deny his hunger.
“Then get to know me again.” His hand cupped her jaw with infinite care. Drawing her close, he dropped his head and claimed her mouth in a long, sensuous kiss.
“Yes.” Evie moaned into his mouth, the sound reverberating through his body, firing his blood, decimating the last of his restraint. He groaned, shoved her against the wall, and her lips apart for the soft slide his tongue. She tasted of coffee and cream, and something sweet.
* * *
Hard kiss. Demanding kiss. Desperate kiss. A kiss that turned her inside out, and told her the man he had become was not the boy she once loved.
He was more.
His hand snaked around her, pulling her against his hard body until her breasts pressed tight against his chest and she could feel every thud of his heart. There were no more gentle caresses, no fumbling with clothing, no whispered endearments. His free hand dove beneath her nightshirt, determined, demanding. He wanted her as she wanted him. Hard. Fast. Now.
“Panties off.” He yanked and her panties came away with a soft sigh.
She was wet, so wet she wondered if she could come just by pressing her thighs together, but before she could put the theory to the test, Zane thrust a thick thigh between her legs.
“Open for me, beautiful girl.”
Her legs parted, and the rough fabric of his jeans grated over her sensitive skin sending ripples of pleasure straight to her core.
Evie slid her arms around his neck and opened to him, needing his touch, the total release of surrender to wash away her fear and tension. She drew him in and kissed him with all the hunger she had buried away the day he left, as if she could assuage a never-ending thirst with the cool touch of his lips.
She felt his low, deep growl of approval in every cell of her body as he slid his cool hands under her shirt to cup her naked breasts, kneading them gently, his thumbs flicking over her nipples until they peaked. Evie had never been with a man as forceful and dominant as Zane, never been handled so roughly. He was how she had imagined Viper would be, but ten times hotter, controlled, but not violent, and terrifying only because he made her want more.
“Look at me.” He dragged in a harsh breath, then swept his tongue inside her mouth, touching, tasting, claiming every inch, showing her what he meant to do to her body. She sank beneath the ferocity of his need, her eyes lifting to his, drowning in the depths of a chocolate sea.
“I need you,” he gritted out. “Now. Here. I need to know you’re real. I need to know you’re safe and you’re mine. I can’t promise to be gentle. Not this first time.”
“I don’t want gentle.” She threaded her hands through his silky hair, then fisted it and pulled him down to her mouth, nipping his bottom lip to let him know she could take whatever he wanted to give.
“Christ, sweetheart,” he groaned. “You’re not ready for all that I’ve become.
Don’t push me too far, or I won’t be able to hold back.” He drew her hand down to the bulge in his jeans and pressed her palm against his erection. “Touch me.”
She hesitated, still uncertain around this new Zane, so confident and commanding. Although she was tempted to go where he led, uncover the dark secret he struggled to hide, she wasn’t ready to open herself up, to trust. Not when she still had questions about the night he left Stanton. Not when he might leave again. But for now, she wanted to lose herself in him, forget about the day and give in to the yearning she had lived with for the last nine years.
Hand trembling, she undid his belt and opened his jeans, releasing his cock from its restraint. Zane groaned, and jerked his hips, thrusting into her palm. Nine years ago he had been a teenager. Now he was all man. His chest was broad and thick with muscle, tattooed with the Sinner’s Tribe logo and scarred by what looked to be a blade; his cock huge and hot, lay heavy in her hand. The boy had touched her with a sweet hunger, gentle and hesitant, awed and forgiving. The man in front of her knew exactly what he wanted, and how he wanted it. He was utterly confident and in control, raw and primal, a tsunami of heat and desire. And the thought of unleashing that power, having all that hunger and intensity focused on her …
Zane drew Evie’s shirt over her head, tossed it on the floor, then drew her nipple between his lips, rolling it with his tongue. The cool air on her skin coupled with his hot, wet mouth sent a shiver of need straight to her core and she moaned and arched her back, offering him more.
“That’s right, sweetheart. Give it to me.” He released her nipple and turned his attention to her other breast, his hand on her hip grinding the curve of her sex against his thigh.
Her body heated, flamed, and she rocked against him, needing more than the tease of denim against her clit. She tightened her grip on his shaft, and worked him as hard as she dared, sliding her hand from balls to tip in a steady rhythm until he gave out a tortured groan.
“Harder.”
Harder? She’d never held a man harder than she held him now. “I don’t want to hurt you.”
“I like the edge. The line between pleasure and pain.” He nipped her nipple sending a sizzle of electricity straight to her clit.
The Sinner’s Tribe Motorcycle Club, Books 1-3 Page 80
